The awards went to cars that could achieve more than 100 mpg or the energy equivalent, called mpge, and meet consumers’ expectations for safety and performance--even if several were other-worldly and traffic-stopping in their designs.

Edison gets $5 million for winning the mainstream class with a car that gets 102.5 mpge. Li-ion and X-Tracer will each get $2.5 million.

The Very Light Car weighs 830 pounds and requires only eight pounds of force to push it. The ride has a range of 300 miles and does 0 to 60 mph in 14 seconds.

The finalists were chosen from a field of 111 teams and 136 vehicles. The competition launched in 2008.

Other Winners:

--Alternative Tandem Class: The Wave II is a two-seater weighing 2,176 pounds. It got more than 182 mpge in combined on-track efficiency testing, a 14.7- second 0-to-60-mph time and more than 100 miles range over a realistic driving cycle.

Alternative Side-by-Side Class: The E-Tracer is a 1,436-pound two-seater that gets 197 mpge on-track energy efficiency, has a 100-mile range and runs from 0 to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds.